


Praise the Sun

by BatmanWhoLaughss



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Dark Souls (Video Games), Dark Souls I
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark Souls Fusion, Canon Rewrite, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Dark Souls (Video Game) References, Dragons, Episode: s03e13 The Firebending Masters, Firebending & Firebenders, Gen, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Inspired by Dark Souls (Video Game), My First Work in This Fandom, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatmanWhoLaughss/pseuds/BatmanWhoLaughss
Summary: “In the Age of Ancients the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. A land of gray crags, Archtrees and Everlasting Dragons. But then there was Fire and with Fire came disparity.” - Unknown“All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. But now I know what it really is. It's energy and life." "Yeah... it's like the sun, but inside of you” - Aang & Zuko“The sun is a wondrous body. Like a magnificent father! If only I could be so grossly incandescent” - Solaire“The original firebenders were the dragons. But they’re extinct.” - Zuko---Dark Souls/Avatar: The Last Airbender AU rewrite of the episode: "The Firebending Masters".
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had a random stray thought while watching the episode "The Firebending Masters" and this fic was born. I'm not sure if it's brilliant, crazy, or both. But I hope you like it!!! More tags to come as this goes on- this is only the beginning.
> 
> Also, this is the first fic of this type that I've EVER tried to write. Most things I write tend to be missing scene type fics, or slightly divergent bits from specific parts of canon. This is the first time I've ever tried to write any sort of crazy AU-type crossover fic, so this is a really fun experiment for me.

_“In the Age of Ancients the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. A land of gray crags, Archtrees and Everlasting Dragons. But then there was Fire and with Fire came disparity.” - Unknown_

_“All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. But now I know what it really is. It's energy and life." "Yeah... it's like the sun, but inside of you” - Aang & Zuko_

_“The sun is a wondrous body. Like a magnificent father! If only I could be so grossly incandescent” - Solaire_

_“The original firebenders were the dragons. But they’re extinct.” - Zuko_

\----

“People don’t make traps unless they’ve got something worth protecting.” 

Aang and Zuko kept going through the ruins, their steps echoing through the eerie quiet of the Sun Warrior ruins. Aang’s eyes were rapidly moving, his head turning this way and that as he tried to take in as much of their surroundings as possible. 

He’d never heard of the Sun Warriors before Zuko mentioned them, but he could feel their raw power that lurked here. There was a sense of awe that surrounded him as they made their way forward towards the central temple, almost like there was some sort of divine presence watching them. Aang did his best to step with care-- not just to check for booby traps, but as a sign of respect to the civilization that used to call this place home. Here in this impossibly old sanctuary, he could almost touch the ancient energy and _heat_ that surrounded them, and he couldn’t help but think that they were getting closer to their goal. 

Aang turned to Zuko, surprised to see he looked like he was deep in thought. “So, tell me more about these ancient Sun Warriors. I bet they were amazing, right?” He kept his tone light, like he was asking about the weather, but as Zuko met his eyes, Aang could see the trepidation in them. 

“There isn’t much to tell. I only know what I’ve read in the Fire Nation’s libraries, and those are suspect at best.” His voice had a bitter edge to it; every time Zuko mentioned his home or his family, it was like the words tasted sour in his mouth. It was one of the things that was making Aang start to trust him, against his better judgement. Something always told him Zuko was telling the truth. 

“My uncle told me some things, though.” _There_ was the soft smile Zuko wore whenever he mentioned Iroh. “According to legend, there was a time centuries ago, before the Avatar and the Four Nations-- before the _elements_ even. Or, at least, before they were being controlled by humans.” They stopped walking, Zuko lost in thought as he spoke and Aang transfixed by the story he was telling. 

“Legend tells that there was a time called the Age of Ancients, where mankind was ruled by giant trees, and large dragons made of stone. Once mankind discovered fire, everything changed. Fire was the first of the four elements that humankind learned to bend, and the Sun Warriors were a mighty tribe that worshipped the heat and energy of the flames. They saw the Sun as a kind of father to all the world, and they protected others who would challenge the tyranny of the archdragons.” 

“The monks always told me that the dragons were pure, kind beings. I… I can’t believe they would dominate mankind like that.” Zuko shook his head. 

“The dragons that existed in those days were very different from the ones we know. The dragons humanity knows are descended from the few dragons that betrayed their own kind-- sided with humanity instead. Legend says that they allied with a mighty warrior who wielded lightning and fire to destroy the archdragons. This warrior was the original firebender, the founder of the Sun Warriors” 

“Wow…” Aang had read about the history of the Four Nations in the Air Temple’s libraries, but the scrolls had _never_ mentioned anything like this. Though, those scrolls only went back a few thousand years. “The monks _never_ mentioned this.” His mouth was open, staring at Zuko in shock. There was still _so much_ that Aang didn’t know about the elements, despite being the Avatar. 

“The Fire Nation was the first of the four nations to be founded. The others came later.” Zuko shrugged. “Doesn’t surprise me that this legend was forgotten by the other nations.”

Aang managed to pick his jaw up off the floor as Zuko continued on. He hurried after him, gulping loudly as the sense of awe he felt in this place intensified even further. He wondered whether the original Sun Warrior tribes lived _here,_ in these ruins, all those years ago. It’s possible that they didn’t, but Aang swore he could feel the presence of this mighty warrior that Zuko spoke of, watching them wander through his home. 

As the two of them pressed on, Aang found himself taking special care to tread lightly and avoid touching anything he wasn’t supposed to. He wasn’t worried about traps anymore, but something about this place, and the story Zuko had told him, was giving him a growing sense of unease. 

They kept walking until they reached the huge stone temple in the center of the ruins and started to ascend. Aang glanced back behind them, taking in the impressive view of the old city spread out before them, and Zuko did the same when he saw Aang had stopped. They both stopped and stared, taking in the sights, the heat of the sun warm against their skin. 

“It’s beautiful,” Zuko muttered, his eyes shining. 

“It is.” Aang took a deep breath. “But we should keep moving-- we don’t have much time, and we have to get what we came for.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This bizarre headcanon continues!!! Still not quite sure how long this will wind up being, but it will probably be pretty lengthy. I'm excited about it though, and I hope you enjoy it!

Aang and Zuko kept climbing until they eventually reached the top of the central temple. Standing before them was a large stone facade, a centuries-old carving etched into the rock. 

“Look. This seems promising,” Aang said with a smile. “Though, I’m not sure what this tells us about the original source of firebending.” The stone carving depicted an image that Aang wasn’t sure what to make of. There were two dragon-like creatures on either side, breathing a circle of fire around the central figure. The figure in the middle was a tall, warrior-like person, with a large crown on his head and a lightning bolt in his left hand. In his right, he held a large sword, with what looked like smaller flames surrounding the blade. The dragons on either side didn’t look much like the dragons Aang had seen either; they looked more like snakes-- giant serpents that seemed to be attacking the warrior. They had two large flaps of… something trailing down the sides of their faces, and they had large mouths with human-looking teeth. It was nothing like Aang had ever seen.

“They look pretty angry to me,” Zuko mused, staring at the temple wall. 

“I thought the dragons were friends with the Sun warriors.” Aang put a hand on the wall, over the markings. 

“Well they had a funny way of showing it.” 

Zuko’s voice was hard and bitter. Aang turned to face him, just as he lowered his head to the floor, seemingly deep in thought. He turned to the side, and started walking away. Aang could feel that something wasn’t right; Zuko was holding back for some reason, but Aang didn’t know what, or why. 

“Zuko? Something happened to the dragons in the last hundred years.” Aang’s face hardened. “Something you’re not telling me.” 

“My great-grandfather Sozin happened.”  _ Oh.  _ There it was. 

They walked along a high bridge that branched off from the temple. “He started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. They were the ultimate firebenders. And if you could conquer one, your firebending talents would become legendary, and you’d earn the honorary title ‘Ashen One.’ It's an old name, for someone who was able to conquer flame.”

They came to another branch of the temple, where two large carvings stood in front of them. They were the same serpent-like creatures that were depicted in the stone carving, only they looked much more grotesque up close. Their eyes were large, with cat-like slits in the middle instead of pupils. Their smiles were wider than they had any right to be, their teeth pulled back in the creepiest smile that Aang had ever seen.

Aang stayed back, slightly horrified by the strange serpent statues, but Zuko placed his hand on one of them. “The last great dragon was conquered long before I was born-- by my uncle.”

Aang tried not to let his surprise show on his face. “But I thought your uncle was… I don’t know. Good?” He had always known Iroh to be one of the better sons of the fire nation, so he was shocked that he would participate in dragon hunting. 

“He had a complicated past.” Zuko sighed, his eyes downcast. “Family tradition, I guess.”

Aang wanted to say something. He could tell Zuko was uneasy; ashamed of his family’s history of cruelty. Before he could, though. Zuko started walking again. “Let’s just move on.” 

Aang ran to catch up. They were running out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for indulging my strange headcanons, lovely readers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept this scene pretty much as is from the episode- there wasn't really much to embellish here, and I hit major writer's block going into the next section of this fic. But I'm hoping to have the next chapter up sooner!

Finally, they came to what looked like the temple entrance. A large, seemingly impenetrable golden door loomed before them, at the far end of a large, flat stretch of ground. The round door looked like it hadn’t budged in centuries, like it was built to withstand anything the world could throw at it. 

That didn’t stop Aang though. He ran forward, undaunted by the imposing metal, and attempted to pry it open with his scrawny arms. “It’s locked up!” He could have guessed that his endeavor wouldn’t work, but it was at least worth a try. 

He glanced up at the large golden door before him. It was beautiful, in an intimidating sort of way, and it was creepy to think that this barrier was all that stood between the two of them and thousands of years of history. The door was covered in markings, and a large engraving of a sun in the center that took up most of the space. The sun had long, thin rays extending outward, but what made the picture particularly unusual was that the sun had a  _ face _ . Aang had never seen a drawing of a sun with a face before. Could this be some sort of sun spirit? The moon had a spirit, so it was only logical that the sun did too. 

There was still the matter of actually  _ opening _ said door. Zuko scratched his head thoughtfully, but as he took a step to the left, Aang could see a glare coming from a pillar behind them. It was  _ massive,  _ tall and ornate, with what looked like a series of flames on the top of it. The glare was coming from a red stone built into the top of the pillar. Zuko glanced back as he too noticed the pillar. “Wait!” He took another step to the left, and they both looked on as a small red dot of light touched the ground beneath their feet. 

“It’s a celestial calendar! Just like the fire sages have in their temples!” Zuko paused, looking around for a second before focusing on something in front of them. Zuko pointed, nodding at Aang, and above their heads Aang could see a red stone that mirrored the one at the top of the pillar.  _ It’s a sunstone,  _ Aang realized. 

Seconds later, Zuko confirmed it. “I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when sunlight hits it at  _ just _ the right angle.” His face turned grim. “On the solstice.” 

Aang groaned, his shoulders drooping.  _ You’ve gotta be kidding me.  _ “Monkey feathers!” He threw his arms up in despair. “The solstice again? We can’t wait here that long!” 

Zuko’s face was set in a determined expression. “No we can’t.” He reached behind him and drew his blade, the metal shining in the bright light of the sun. “But we might be able to speed time up.” He dropped to his knees, angling the blade so it caught the red light. Aang caught onto what he was doing just as Zuko explained. “But we might be able to speed time up. Let’s see if we can outsmart the sunstone.” 

It took a minute or two. Zuko had to angle the sword  _ just _ right, so it would hit the red stone dead on. Aang watched as the little dot of light moved along the edges of the doorframe, closer and closer to the center stone. He held his breath as the light finally made contact, glowing brightly even in the daylight. He glanced up as the light shone. “Nothing’s happening.” 

“C’mon…” Aang could see Zuko fighting to keep his hands steady. The stone continued to glow brightly for another second, and Aang was terrified that it wasn’t going to work, that they would be stuck out here forever and he would never learn to firebend. The Sun Warriors had so much to tell him, he could  _ feel  _ it, but it would all be for nothing if they couldn’t get through the door. 

A moment later, though, the ground beneath them began to tremble, and both boys had to fight to keep their balance. Slowly, the golden door slid open, revealing a dark chasm. It was hard to see anything inside, but as the door opened, Aang felt relief spread through his body, his whole frame relaxing as he bent to pick up his staff. Zuko came to stand next to him, sheathing his sword and peering curiously into the darkened temple. 

Aang had to admit it: he was impressed. He wasn’t about to let Zuko know, though-- it would go right to his head. “You know Zuko? I don’t care what everyone else says about you.” He elbowed the other boy in the ribs lightly with a smile on his face. “You’re pretty smart.”

Aang couldn’t have telegraphed his sarcasm any more clearly, but Zuko smiled at him, which was still a  _ weird _ sight to see. His face fell a moment later when the joke landed on him. Aang had to suppress a giggle at the look on his face. The joke broke the tension of the moment, but the slight tingle of apprehension was still there as the two boys made their way inside the Sun Warrior temple for the very first time. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG friends. I've been having so much fun working on other projects, that I kind of neglected this one. BUT! This chapter marks the turning point where this fic starts getting further away from the episode itself, so I'm real excited to see where it's going to go. I hope you like it! I promise I will try to have the next chapter posted sooner rather than later. :)
> 
> The good news is that this chapter is longer!

Aang took a few steps into the darkened chamber, glancing around nervously. The sunlight shining through the open door made the dusty cobwebs visible. He hadn’t been in a place like this since the Air Temple, right after coming out of the iceberg. It was one of the worst moments of his life, and he shuddered to think of what he would find buried in this place. 

Then he stopped, jumping backwards and gasping as he took in the sight of a large face looming before him. He clutched his staff tightly, and almost screamed before he heard Zuko’s voice behind him. “Relax! They’re just statues!” 

Aang bit back the startled cry that was still stuck in his throat as they took in the room before them. The sunlight was illuminating the entire chamber now, and he could see that the room was much larger than it initially seemed. There were statues all around them, forming a giant circle around the space. The sun with a face was painted on the far wall– the same one they had seen on the chamber door. The statues seemed to portray the same figure as the temple’s stone carvings, but up close like this the faces looked almost grotesque.  _ Creepy,  _ Aang mused. 

The poses were the really interesting part, though. Each of the statues were positioned in a different way, and there seemed to be a pattern to them; the figures seemed to move fluidly from one position to the next as Aang looked at each one.  _ Almost like… hmm.  _

Zuko was less interested in the statues; Aang saw him walk right to the center of the room, glancing around in awe as Aang made his way to the first statue on the right. He scratched his head thoughtfully, looking for any sort of explanation. Did the Sun Warriors really build this whole temple just to hide some weird-looking statues? It didn’t make any sense. 

Just then, a small inscription at the foot of the first statue caught the light, and Aang bent down to read it. “It says… this is something called the Dancing Dragon.” 

_ Odd. I wonder if… _ Aang leaned his staff against the statue and peered up at it. It  _ did  _ look like the beginning of a dance, but it also looked a bit like it could be a bending pose. Figuring he had nothing to lose by trying, Aang tried to mimic the position of the statue– palms up and out, with his right knee bent. 

For a moment, nothing happened at all. But then his heart almost stopped as he felt the floor shift dangerously beneath him. Glancing down in shock, he saw that a tiny piece of the floor had moved slightly as he stood on it.  _ Like a pressure mechanism of some kind.  _ Looking around the room at the rest of the statue, Aang began to put the pieces together. 

He ran over to where Zuko was standing, examining a statue on the other side of the room. He was so excited that he started yanking on the other boy’s arm, his words coming out in a rush. “Zuko, get over here! I want you to dance with me.” 

“What?” Zuko pulled his arm away, looking at Aang like he’d lost his mind. 

“Just do it!” Aang almost dragged him back to the front of the chamber, positioning him in front of the left statue as Aang stood in front of the right. Zuko was grumbling about it, groaning with his shoulders hunched over as he stared at the stone figure. Aang knew Zuko thought he was stupid right now, but he had a hunch that this was going to work. 

“Let’s follow the steps of the statues.” Zuko rolled his eyes, but both of them mimicked the first pose. Zuko was still grumbling, muttering about how ridiculous they must look, but as they both moved together to mimic the second pose, Aang could see his eyes widen as a switch on the floor moved. 

“Don’t you see? These aren’t dance moves.” Aang was practically buzzing with excitement as they kept going, moving from pose to pose seamlessly, as if they were actually performing a well-rehearsed dance. “These statues are giving us a lesson! I think this is some kind of Sun Warrior firebending form.” They were moving closer and closer to the center now, and Aang could feel the anticipation building in the pit of his stomach.

“This better teach us some really good firebending…” Zuko still sounded embarrassed, but Aang couldn’t help but silently agree with him. If they came all this way only to leave with nothing, then they were as good as finished. Aang didn’t have time to find a new firebending teacher– the Sun Warriors and their dragon dances were their only hope.

Finally, they made it to the end of the circle, standing with their fists touching in the last pose of the form. For a single, terrifying moment, nothing happened, and Aang was worried they really would be leaving empty-handed after all. Then, a loud  _ click _ echoed through the chamber, and both boys turned behind them. A small trap-door was opening in the center of the room, and rising from it was a tall, brown pillar with something golden resting at the top. 

“Hooray!” Aang raised both arms as he yelled triumphantly, but the feeling was short-lived. “Wait. What exactly is that?” Resting on top of the pillar was what looked like a large golden bowl, shining in the sunlight. Aang couldn’t imagine what a bowl could teach them about firebending, but Zuko ran towards it nonetheless. 

“It’s some kind of mystical artifact.”

“Well don’t touch it!” Aang didn’t know anything about the Sun Warriors, but he  _ did _ know that the first rule of weird golden artifacts in temples is that you  _ don’t _ touch them. 

“Why not?” Zuko apparently didn’t know that rule, and Aang ran to stand next to him in front of the pillar. He  _ did _ make sure to stand a few feet back, though. 

“Remember what happened out there with those spikes?” Aang couldn’t forget the booby trap that nearly impaled him earlier that day. “I’m just very suspicious of giant golden bowls sitting on pedestals.” He could see an inscription on the pedestal itself. The word  _ Lordvessel _ was written there, embossed in shining golden letters. 

Zuko ignored him though, picking up the bowl and holding it close as he examined it. Aang smacked his palm against his forehead. “It feels… almost  _ alive, _ ” Zuko muttered as he held up the bowl.

Aang glanced at the inscription again, this time reading the rest out loud. “Bestowed upon the chosen undead who is destined to succeed Lord Gwyn. To open the final door, place this vessel on the Firelink Altar, and fill it with powerful souls.”  _ Creepy. Is it… are there souls in there already? _

He could see that Zuko was thinking the same thing, because he immediately turned pale, holding the bowl at arms’ length as if it was burning him. “Maybe you’re right… we shouldn’t touch it.” 

Zuko moved to put the bowl back onto the pedestal, but before he could, a huge jet of…  _ something _ shot up from the floor. Aang was out of range, but the plume of green goop propelled Zuko to the ceiling before he could blink. Zuko cried out, and at the sound of moving stone, Aang looked back to see the door to the chamber closing, sealing them in. “It’s another trap!” Aang looked around frantically for any kind of exit, as more green stuff began pouring out into the room. The pedestal was completely engulfed now, and Aang was trying desperately not to let it touch him. 

He could see Zuko, stuck to the barred window on the ceiling with the Lordvessel. “Ugh,” he yelled, as he struggled against the sticky substance binding him. “I can’t break free! It’s like some kind of glue!”

The slime was gushing into the room faster than Aang could avoid it now, and he made a beeline for his staff on the other side of the chamber. Grabbing it with only a moment to spare, he jumped, moving from the floor to the top of the statue in a single bound, and unleashing a large blast of air towards where Zuko hung suspended. He’d hoped it would cut him loose, or at least let him move a little, but instead all it did was flip him over. Instead of facing the floor, now his back was towards the chamber, his face staring out the open window. 

Aang stood on top of the tallest statue’s head, but he saw that the green sludge had quickly filled the entire chamber; the stuff was almost engulfing the statue entirely. He had to move fast. Gasping, he saw the edge of his staff was stuck now, but try as he might, he couldn’t move it. He was out of options. 

So he leapt, soaring through the air until he grabbed the bars of the window where Zuko was trapped. He thought he could pry them open somehow, but the moment he grabbed them, his hands and feet were stuck where they touched the window. Aang had never felt a substance so sticky. “I can’t move! Zuko, do something!” His panic was getting the better of him, and he tried to hold back the tidal wave of fear. Of all the ways he expected to die, this was decidedly not the way he imagined it. 

“Me? I can’t move either!” Zuko’s eyes were wide and frantic as he stared at Aang, still trying to pry his hands and feet off of the windows. The sludge was almost right at their backs now, filling the tiny amount of space they had left. Before they could blink, it was right on top of them, the sheer  _ volume _ of it squeezing them against the bars. It squeezed them so tightly, Aang thought for a fleeting moment the pressure was going to kill them, but then, just as suddenly, the pressure ceased. 

“It stopped!” Aang breathed a sigh of relief. They were still wedged in uncomfortably tight, but it wasn’t painful anymore.   
“At least we have air,” Zuko said. “Maybe if we stay calm, we can figure a way out of this.” Aang had to admire his optimism. 

Hours passed, the sun setting and the day turning to night with no ideas from either of them. They were still stuck, and Aang’s muscles were beginning to cramp from being trapped like this for so long. It didn’t seem like either of them was going to come up with a usable plan any time soon. 

“You  _ had _ to pick up the glowing bowl, didn’t you,” Aang grumbled, glancing at Zuko with a frown. He couldn’t move his head much, but he could see Zuko watching him, just as frustrated. 

“At least I made something happen! If it were up to  _ you,  _ we never would have made it past the courtyard.”

“Help!” Aang screamed louder than he ever had, but the silence didn’t change. 

“Who are you yelling to? Nobody’s lived here for  _ centuries!” _

“Well, what do  _ you _ think we should do?” The exasperation was starting to seep into his tone, and to Zuko’s credit, he had the decency to look sheepish. 

“...Think about our place in the universe?”

Aang sighed deeply.  _ Of all the people to die with… _

Then, suddenly, they both froze, trying to keep as silent as possible. Their eyes met, wide and fearful. 

They could hear footsteps approaching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to everyone who has indulged this strange concept thus far- I appreciate all of you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, huge thank you for all of you continuing to indulge me in this bizarre adventure. This has become my pet-project fic as of late, and writing a crossover like this continues to make me feel like a mad god. 
> 
> I'll do my best to get the next chapter up sooner, but this has become the fic that I work on when I get tired of my other fics, so I don't really have a consistent update schedule, sadly. But I will do my best!! Love you all :)
> 
> Also, wanted to reiterate something- I'm keeping most of the dialogue basically the same as the episode itself. I felt like people were praising me because the dialogue was super close to the character, but since the dialogue is literally just coming from the episode itself, that felt weird to me. Just wanted to make that extra clear. But I appreciate all the praise!!!!

The footfalls were heavy, coming closer and closer until they stopped a few feet away. “Who is down there?”

The figure stood over them, peering down. Aang’s eyes widened, and he heard Zuko gasp beside him. The figure was completely covered in metal armor, carrying a large sword at his hip. His helmet completely covered his face except for tiny slits where his eyes should be. The only identifying mark was the tunic he wore over his armor, which depicted the same picture of a sun that they’d seen on the temple wall. 

The figure didn’t say anything more, just stared down at them through his faceless mask. Aang and Zuko glanced at each other.  _ This isn’t good,  _ Aang thought.

\----

Aang and Zuko sat in the center of the temple courtyard, still waist-deep in the green sludge. The faceless Sun Warrior still stood in front of them, but now they were  _ surrounded _ ; at least 30 figures stood watching the two of them. They were all dressed in shades of red and gold, with various markings painted on their face. The faceless man was unique; of all of them, he was the only one who wore armor, and the sole figure with a covered face. 

_ So these are the Sun Warriors,  _ Aang mused. Zuko had said they were extinct, but clearly they were alive and well. They seemed like they were thriving, even, and Aang was shocked that they had been able to live in secret for so long. 

Aang and Zuko glanced at each other. There were two badger-mole-like creatures on either side of them, licking the slime where it stuck to their faces. Aang grimaced, but clearly he wasn’t in a position to do anything about it. Still, the Sun Warriors stood silently, watching them.

Finally, the armored Sun Warrior stepped forward, gripping his sword at the hilt. “I am Solaire, of Astora.” The man’s voice was surprisingly soft, but still managed to command the space around them. There was little warmth in his words, though. “You have come here seeking your very own sun, have you not? Instead you try to take our Lordvessel, but I doubt that either of you are the Chosen Undead the prophecy spoke of.” Aang remembered the words written on the Lordvessel, and he figured Solaire was referencing an ancient Sun Warrior belief system. He’d never heard of Astora, and he wondered if that was the name of this ancient ruin.

But the man’s voice hardened as he continued on. “For trying to take our Lordvessel, you must be severely punished.”

Aang froze, scrambling to think of something clever to say while the animal next to him continued to lick his face. But luckily, it was Zuko who spoke up. “We didn’t come here to take your Lordvessel. We came here to find the ancient origin of all firebending.” Zuko’s voice was much stronger than Aang felt, and he was suddenly grateful for it.

“Yeah, right.” One of the other Sun Warriors stepped forward, the Lordvessel cradled in his hands. He spoke to Solaire. “They are obviously thieves! Here to steal Sun Warrior treasures.”

_ Here goes nothing,  _ Aang thought. He raised a hand. “Please, listen. I don’t normally play this card, but I’m the Avatar.” He had a self-assured smile on his face. Normally this was enough to calm the situation down, but when no one spoke, he started to get nervous. He rose to his feet. “Just hear us out.” His voice was starting to waver.  _ Maybe these guys are just going to kill us. _

Then, Zuko stood up next to him, tall and proud. “My name is Zuko,” he said, putting just a hint of his old princely authority into his voice. “Crown Prince of the Fire Nation.” Something flickered in his eyes then, and he glanced down at the floor. “Or, at least I used to be,” he muttered.

Zuko sighed, before turning to face the Sun Warriors again. “I know my people have distorted the ways of firebending to be fueled by anger and rage. But now I want to learn the true way. The original way.” 

Zuko gestured to the courtyard around them. “When we came here I never imagined that the Sun Warrior civilization was secretly alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence.” 

Zuko bowed his head, a sign of respect, and Aang hurried to mimic him. He was similarly  _ shocked _ that this tribe had secretly existed for all these centuries. He had so many questions, but he knew now wasn’t the time. Still, he hoped that after all this was over, he could pick Solaire’s brain; there was so much rich history here.

Aang couldn’t help but be impressed by Zuko’s speech, and he only hoped that it would keep the Sun Warriors from killing them for a little longer.

Zuko raised his head. “Please. Teach us,” he said.

Solaire still hadn’t removed his helm, so Aang had no idea what he was thinking. Finally he let out a small  _ hmm.  _ “If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun, you must be judged by the masters Frampt and Kaathe.” 

“Frampt and Kaathe?” Aang asked. “There are two of them?”

Solaire stepped closer to where they sat, towering over them in his metal armor. “When you present yourselves to them, they will examine you.” Aang gulped. “They’ll read your hearts, your souls-” Solaire moved to stand in front of Zuko as he finished the sentence. “And your ancestry.” 

_ Oh no.  _ That didn’t bode well. Zuko’s ancestors weren’t exactly the most popular people. Aang could see Zuko grimacing, and he knew he was probably thinking the exact same thing.

Solaire kept speaking, ignoring Zuko’s obvious discomfort. “If they deem you worthy, they’ll teach you. If they don’t, you’ll be destroyed on the spot.” 

Solaire walked away, turning back towards the Sun Warriors, still gathered in the courtyard and watching everything. As he walked away, Aang turned to Zuko. He could see the look of raw  _ panic _ in Zuko’s eyes that mirrored his own.  _ Destroyed on the spot?  _

Aang gulped again. He really hoped that these “masters,” whoever they were,” thought they were worthy, otherwise this was going to get  _ very _ bad,  _ very _ quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it seems like this fic has become my "this is what I work on in between all my Star Wars projects when I get some free time" project. I'm still real excited to keep working on this, but that's kind of why updates have been less frequent. I've been keeping the chapters shorter since there are discrete bits that make sense to break up, so I hope you enjoy this new bit!!!! 
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who's been sticking with this fic :)

After trudging up the almost never-ending staircase, marching in front of the Sun Warriors the entire time, they  _ finally _ reached the top of the large pyramid. At the peak was a large dome-like structure, reaching high in the sky and towering over the rest of the ruins. This was the highest point in the entire city, and if Aang wasn’t terrified, he would be appreciating the gorgeous view from up here. 

Solaire led them to the center of the dome, in front of a large, open flame. The rest of the Sun Warriors formed a semicircle behind them, arranging themselves in an almost ceremonial pattern. Aang glanced over at Zuko, swallowing thickly. What exactly were they planning? 

As if reading his mind, Solaire started to speak, in that peculiar, tinny voice of his. He still hadn’t taken his helmet off, and Aang couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. It was weird talking to a man with no face.

“If you’re going to see the Masters, you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame.” He gestured towards the large plume of fire in front of them. It was beautiful, in a way–beautiful and dangerous. “This fire is the very first one, resting at what we call the Kiln of the First Flame. This structure is eons old.” 

Aang couldn’t help the small thrill that ran through him as he glanced around. Zuko was doing the same, a look of awe on his face. “This flame was given to man by a dragon called Seath the Scaleless. He bestowed the flame upon our founder, Lord Gwyn, when he betrayed his own kind. We’ve kept it going for thousands of years.” 

“I don’t believe it…” Zuko’s eyes were wide, his mouth open in shock. “The legends are true!”

Solaire nodded, but whether he was smiling or frowning under the mask was anyone’s guess. He continued on as if Zuko hadn’t spoken. “You will each take a piece of the First Flame to the Masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending. 

Aang could feel the unease growing.  _ I can’t firebend. How on earth am I supposed to carry a flame?  _ He rubbed at the back of his neck, his face contorting into a grimace. Zuko didn’t notice his discomfort; he was still staring at the Eternal Flame like he couldn’t believe it really existed. 

Aang groaned. “Um,” he began. “Mr. Sun Chief… sir. Yeah… I’m not a firebender yet.” He gestured towards Zuko. “Couldn’t my friend here carry my fire for me?”

“No,” Solaire said, a hard edge to his voice. He turned back to the First Flame, pulling his hands back to draw out a small piece of the Flame. When he came to face them again, he split the fire into two smaller flames, suspended like candles in the palms of his hands. Aang had no idea how he wasn’t boiling underneath his armor, but he supposed it might have been a firebender thing. He was growing more fearful by the minute. Every second he stared at the fire he doubted himself a little more.  _ The last time I tried to firebend I almost destroyed everything. How can I keep such a small flame contained? _

Solaire started talking again, and Aang struggled to snap himself out of his thoughts. “This ritual illustrates the very essence of Sun Warrior philosophy,” Solaire said. “We call it the Linking of the Fire. You must maintain a constant heat.” The more Aang stared at the fire, now held out towards him in Solaire’s outstretched hand, the more scared he got. He curled away from it, suddenly horribly afraid, worried that he would burn the whole ruin down if he so much as touched it. Next to him, Zuko was quiet, watching the fire with a kind of focused intensity that Aang wished he possessed. 

“The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control.” Zuko stared at the fire for a moment longer, and Aang could see the determination in his eyes. After a beat, he reached out and took the flame from Solaire, cradling it in both hands. He glanced over at Aang with a raised brow, but Aang was still staring at the small flame with wide eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, cringing away from the fire. “I’m just a little nervous.” Closing his eyes, he reached out with both hands. He felt like the fire would instantly explode the minute he touched it. But a moment later, he felt the rush of heat as Solaire gingerly placed the tiny flame into his hands. 

Opening his eyes, Aang stared at it in awe. It was beautiful, in a way, nestled in the palms of his hands like a tiny spark of life. It didn’t feel the way he remembered, back when he first tried firebending. This fire felt… different, like there was something  _ alive _ there somehow. 

“It’s like a little heartbeat…” he said. 

Solaire nodded. “Fire is life. Not just destruction.” Aang glanced down at the little flame once more, and he couldn’t help but smile.  _ Life. Mine to protect, at least for a little while. _

Solaire pointed at the large mountain to the west, and Aang tried to focus on what he was saying. “You will take your flames up there.” _Up_ _there_ was a spot between two large rocks at the top of the peak, and Aang couldn’t help but grow uneasy again. “The cave of the masters is beneath that rock. You’d best get moving.”

Solaire turned away, not saying anything more. Aang and Zuko glanced at each other, and as their eyes met, he could see a flicker of fear in Zuko’s face that mirrored his own. But he didn’t say anything, and Aang couldn’t help but notice that Zuko’s flre was a  _ lot _ bigger than his. 

He swallowed as they turned away from the flame, moving between the glaring Sun Warriors to descend the temple steps. This was going to be the longest walk of his life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back to bring you yet another chapter of my adorably weird pet project :)

They’d been walking for hours. Zuko was leading the way, moving confidently through the trees as they climbed the rock, his flame cradled safely in his hands. Aang couldn’t help but notice that his fire never flickered, even when Zuko stumbled or tripped. The size always stayed consistent, and the little flame shone brightly against the daylight. 

Aang was having a tougher time. He was moving slowly, hesitant to walk too fast or move his hand too much for fear of accidentally extinguishing his flame. It remained stubbornly tiny no matter how hard he tried to make it bigger, and Aang was starting to get worried. 

When Zuko reached the top of the ridge, he turned back to where Aang was still climbing. “Hurry up,” he said, a hard edge to his voice. Aang could see a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.

“I can’t,” Aang replied, reaching up to grab the rock above his head with his free hand. “If I walk too fast, my flame will go out.”

Zuko shook his head. “Your flame’s gonna go out because it’s too small. You’re too timid. Give it more juice.”

Aang felt a mild panic creep into his heart. It was the same overwhelming sense of fear that overtook him whenever he thought about  _ really _ firebending again, accompanied by the image of Katara’s burned hands. “But what if I can’t control it?”

“You can do it,” Zuko said, staring at Aang with a mix of intensity and admiration that Aang didn’t know what to make of. “I know you can. You’re a talented kid.”

Aang couldn’t help but smile at that, and his face turned a light shade of pink.

The two of them kept walking, and Aang swallowed thickly before breathing just the  _ slightest _ amount of heat into his flame. It got a little bigger, big enough that it didn’t look like it was about to fizzle out any second. He managed another small smile.

They spent the rest of the day climbing, and by the end of it, Aang’s legs were aching and there was a sheen of sweat dripping down his back. They made it to the top of the mountain right as the sun was beginning to sweat, and when Aang took in the sight before them, he gasped. 

In between the rock was a large stone courtyard, where Solaire and the other Sun Warriors stood waiting for them. Aang couldn’t help but wonder how they got here before them, but he kept his mouth shut, instead just staring at the magnificent view. Solaire stood in front of a large, magnificent stone walkway, and as Aang looked up he could see a narrow bridge stretching between the two rocks. Around the courtyard, the other Sun Warriors were either standing or bowing on their knees, but all of them were facing the bridge.

As Solaire walked towards them, Aang couldn’t help but glance at Zuko. His face was impassive, betraying nothing, and as Aang turned back towards Solaire, a small grimace spread across his face. 

“Hello there,” He said, in that metal, tinny voice of his. He still hadn’t taken the helmet off, not even once, and the mask was as impassive as ever. “Facing the judgement of the Firebending Masters will be very dangerous for you.” Solaire shifted to glance at Zuko. “Your ancestors are directly responsible for the dragons’ disappearance. The Masters might not be so happy to see you.” Aang could see Zuko’s face fall, his eyes drifting down towards the floor and an unmistakable look of remorse on his face. His own heart was pounding, both for the danger Zuko was probably in and for himself.

“I know  _ I _ wouldn’t be,” one of the other Sun Warriors chimed in, sneering at Zuko with his hands on his hips. 

Aang gulped again, his brain rapidly trying to come up with a positive spin on the situation. “But once they find out I’m the Avatar‒” 

Solaire cuts him off. “Ah, but have you forgotten that you vanished? Allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world? The decline of the dragons is  _ your _ burden, too.” 

Aang’s eyes widen, the panic overtaking him yet again. Part of him still felt guilty about his decision, all those years ago, and having it thrown back in his face yet again made his insides clench. 

Without warning, Solaire stepped even closer to them, rapidly reaching out to take a piece of both their fires before they could blink. It was a move so graceful that Aang almost didn’t believe his eyes, and Solaire passed the fires to the Sun Warriors waiting on either side of him a heartbeat later. Aang couldn’t help but gape at him in response, though he noticed that he still held a small bit of flame in his hand.

Aang watched the Sun Warriors on the outskirts of the courtyard stand up. One by one, the flames passed between them, and each one formed a perfect circle of fire in between their outstretched arms.  _ This is it. Now or never, I guess, _ Aang thought. 

But an overwhelming sense of fear still gripped him, and as Solaire began walking forward, towards the bridge, Aang turned to Zuko. “We could turn back now. We’ve already learned more about fire than we’d hoped.” As if to punctuate the statement, he held up the small flame still cradled in his palm, with a small nervous smile. 

Zuko raised an eyebrow for a moment, before his expression morphed into a steely, confident look and he shook his head. “No. We’re seeing this through to the end,” he said. “We’re gonna meet these  _ ‘Masters’ _ and find out what’s so great about them.”

Aang sighed. He had a feeling that Zuko would say that. He can’t help but be afraid, though. “What if they judge us, and… attack us?” he asked, a small tremor lacing his voice.

Zuko smirks, though. “Well,” he said. “We’re the Fire Prince and the Avatar.” He unsheathed his sword slightly from where it rested against his back. “I think we could take these guys in a fight, whoever they are.”

Aang admired Zuko’s confidence, and his spirit, but he still wasn’t convinced. The anxiety was turning his stomach in knots, but he supposed there was nothing to do except face the fear. So he nodded, even as his eyebrows scrunched together and his eyes widened to betray the panic he was feeling. 

As the final Sun Warriors completed the circle of fire at the other end of the courtyard, Zuko took a step forward. “Bring them out,” he yelled, with all the authority and confidence that the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation was meant to have. He sounded stronger than Aang suspected he felt, but as they waited with bated breath, Aang let Zuko’s spirit give him strength. They were both going to need it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback on my insane concept is very much appreciated, as always :)


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